Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Main Headquarters

The time spent falling in midair was not very long.

This was because the distance from the floor he had stood on to the underground was not that deep.

However, the space that entered his eyes was different. It was as spacious as an average military hall’s training hall.

Unlike the complicated corridors and rooms of the first floor, the underground was a simple chamber.

”......”

And immediately, he came face to face with him.

The one he had so longed to meet again—the Demonic Cult Leader.

”You’ve come.”

Smiling nonchalantly at Jeong-un, he was the first to speak.

Even his tone genuinely seemed pleased, as if he had predicted Jeong-un would come here.

Jeong-un calmly sheathed his black sword and scanned his surroundings with his sensitivity.

It was to examine the environment before making any moves—there could be a formation set up, lying in wait for him.

He was prepared for the possibility that the cult leader would be waiting for him.

If he could catch the Demonic Cult Leader off guard and behead him at once, that would have been ideal, but in truth, that hope was wishful thinking.

Even being able to face him alone like this was already half a success. After all, what mattered was to strike him down.

Perhaps sensing this, the cult leader grinned and spoke again.

”There’s no need to be in such a hurry. My cultists won’t get in the way of our meeting.”

”...... What do you mean?”

Jeong-un frowned and asked in return.

The Demonic Cult Leader pointed upward as he answered.

”I already gave instructions not to let anyone in. My word to the cultists is weightier than your nation’s laws. Truly, no one will dare come in. Isn’t that what you wanted as well?”

He continued, glancing at the ceiling completely covered in debris.

”Well, I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.”

”......”

Jeong-un gazed at him silently.

He wanted to rush forward and cut him down right away, but he was holding back.

From experience, he knew that acting rashly would only put him at a disadvantage.

’What about a formation?’

From what he sensed, the flow of air around him didn’t feel unnatural.

It seemed that, indeed, there was no formation set up, and even the flow of natural energy was smooth.

’Could that really be?’

But he didn’t let his guard down.

His sensitivity was never perfect.

It was indeed keen, excellent at detecting the presence of others, but it wasn’t without its flaws.

In fact, he had been fooled by the man several times before.

If human senses were truly infallible, there would be no such saying as ”it’s darkest under the lamp”.

Even for a martial artist’s sensitivity, it was the same.

”......?”

Then, noticing something, Jeong-un tilted his head, his gaze fixed on the Demonic Cult Leader’s left arm.

Specifically, the arm he himself had hacked off.

”...... Did you reattach your arm?”

”Hm? You just noticed?”

Now he saw that the arm had been reattached.

He had suspected as much, since the man had made off with his severed forearm last time, but he hadn’t expected it to be possible to reattach the flesh that had been cut off.

The cult leader curled his lips into a sly smile.

”As you know, my main martial art is fist-and-palm arts. It’s been that way for generations of Ming Cult Leaders. We have no fondness for mere hunks of iron. Once you reach a certain level, the bursting energy you generate from your fingertips becomes far sharper than any blade. To me, it’s strange to carry such cumbersome things around.”

”Cumbersome, is it?”

Still eyeing his left arm, Jeong-un continued.

”So your left arm is usually more cumbersome than your right, I see.”

”......”

The cult leader’s expression hardened. He had understood the meaning behind Jeong-un’s words.

”Whatever trick you used, it looks like it’s not perfect. Honestly, the sight is a bit ridiculous.”

The man’s left arm was a palm’s length shorter than the right—exactly by the amount Jeong-un had chopped off.

Finally, the man forced a grin.

”Amusing, aren’t you?”

He shrugged as he went on.

”That was a technique left by that old Divine Physician.”

”......?”

Divine Physician?

At this unexpected name, Jeong-un narrowed his brow, and the cult leader continued.

”That man didn’t leave behind just his tomb. While toying with martial artists coveting his cultivation pill, he also left his medical techniques behind as a secret manual. I got my hands on it after killing the guy who claimed to inherit the old man’s will. It seems the fool had entirely lost his mind—he only taught his disciple medicine, not martial skills. A foolish belief that reality proved to be mistaken.”

”......”

Jeong-un recalled a story he had heard once.

The previous finest in the realm, the Divine Physician, had taken on one disciple, but that disciple was said to possess surprisingly little martial prowess. That must have been the reason.

Moreover, if what the cult leader said was true, even the progress in that medical skill had now been cut off.

The lineage of the man once called the Divine Healer had come to an end.

”But even with that supreme medtech, there was a limit—you can’t overcome constitution. Your energy is so harmful to me that the flesh severed by your sword wouldn’t reattach. In the end, I had to just connect it like this, resulting in this ridiculous-looking arm. As a side effect, my left arm can no longer channel internal energy freely. Even my fist-and-palm arts are limited, now.”

”Limited?”

”Keen to know more?”

”......”

The cult leader chuckled.

Jeong-un stared him squarely in the face.

He had only spoken to irritate the man, yet the cult leader candidly revealed his own flaws.

It was only natural to be suspicious.

Now that he thought about it, the whole situation was strange.

The man had waited here alone, as if expecting Jeong-un’s arrival.

That meant he had expected him to break into the main headquarters and come to take his life.

’... This defenselessly? Even when he’s not in perfect shape?’

Jeong-un’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t guess the man’s intentions.

Saaaak.

Soon, from Jeong-un’s body’s form, colorless ki waves began to undulate outward.

Soon, like fog, they spread into the space, taking its measure.

”......”

The Demonic Cult Leader only stood there and watched Jeong-un. As if to say, try whatever you want.

A faint smile hovered on his lips.

At last, Jeong-un lowered his gaze and slowly spoke.

”...... Insane bastard.”

”May I take that as a compliment?”

”You finished preparing your grand technique and waited for me.”

There was more than one thing caught in Jeong-un’s finely spread sensitivity.

All the sacred items the cult leader spoke of were in this space—as well as beneath the floor.

This vast underground was, as the Demonic Cult Leader said, atop the Grand Formation Where All Laws Return to Emptiness.

The cult leader burst out laughing and said,

”Isn’t this the situation both you and I wanted?”

”Don’t spout nonsense.”

”You wish for my head, and I want the true ki within your body. If our aims didn’t match precisely, we couldn’t have met like this. Think—if I stood here with my cultists, would you have shown yourself before me?”

Jeong-un did not reply. The man wasn’t wrong.

If the Demonic Cult Leader had stood here with his subordinates, Jeong-un would not have appeared before him.

He would be offering up his life for nothing.

The whole point of sneaking in was to ambush and cut him down—or at least to find a way to confront him alone.

If the man had stayed tightly guarded by powerful cultists, Jeong-un might have given up and turned back to join the orthodox faction alliance for a full assault.

He was reckless enough to sneak in alone, but not so foolish as to throw his life away on a hopeless gamble.

Jeong-un spoke.

”So you arranged all this on purpose?”

”That’s right.”

The Demonic Cult Leader nodded and smiled.

”As you’ve sensed, the Grand Formation Where All Laws Return to Emptiness is set up below us. You might not sense it, but if your body weakens, the formation will absorb your true ki. The more you’re wounded, the more it happens. That’s how this grand technique is completed—at your death. A beautiful moment, wouldn’t you say?”

”You mean the more of my strength you take, the closer it comes to completion?”

”There’s no need to overthink it. You need only take my head.”

”......”

”And to me, this very moment is a pleasure I can hardly endure. Though not my original plan, now you and I are mortal foes who can’t coexist under the same sky. Imagine how ecstatic a moment this is for a martial artist.”

His face shone with a strange rapture. It was a chilling sight.

”Nothing to say? Are you frightened?”

He gazed at Jeong-un with a quiet leer.

Jeong-un ran his fingers along the sword handle of the black sword at his waist.

It was cold—to be expected before drawing his sword, as always.

Only when the blade was stained with the enemy’s blood would it finally warm again.

He could sense the man’s gaze on him, wary now. Even the Demonic Cult Leader could no longer take Jeong-un’s martial skill lightly.

’......’

All in all, this fight favored the man. The more wounded Jeong-un became, the more true ki the grand technique below would consume.

Even so, Jeong-un spoke bluntly.

”Well done.”

”What?”

At the words that sounded like praise, the Demonic Cult Leader narrowed his eyes.

”Simple. I like it. Let’s do as you wish.”

”...... Hmph.”

The cult leader let out a hollow laugh.

After that, he fell silent.

It was a stark contrast to his earlier, constant chatter.

Even his expression hardened, with only his blazing red clear expression in the eyes shining greedily.

Srrrk.

His body’s form blurred, then disappeared.

Again, his bodily movements were bizarre.

It wasn’t lightness skill.

He had again planted the core of a strange formation’s principle inside his body—like at Shaolin’s cliff.

Thud!

At the same time, Jeong-un moved his foot.

With a forcible stride, as if peeling back an invisible veil, the Demonic Cult Leader appeared to Jeong-un’s left.

Screeech!

At once, the man’s palm met the blade swung in a cutting slash.

Though the black sword’s sword aura was extremely solid, the man didn’t budge.

Instead, twining bursting energy tried to push aside the sword, then, his fingers seemed about to seize the sword blade.

Saaak!

As Jeong-un swung sideways, the man grinned and retreated again.

’He hasn’t erected another formation.’

All that filled this space was the Grand Formation Where All Laws Return to Emptiness.

Even those strange movements had limitations. That meant the natural energy of the air wasn’t propelling him.

Indeed, the air remained calm, confirming it.

’I can do it.’

Walking around with a formation’s core inside your body clearly had weaknesses.

Unlike before, when the air itself seemed to carry the man, now it was triggered only by his own intent.

In other words, if Jeong-un moved beyond his perception, he could definitely cut him down.

He closed his eyes, steadily.

”......?”

The cult leader frowned.

In a battle between peerless experts, closing one’s eyes?

Even if a martial artist’s senses were sharp, to completely abandon one’s sight was a different matter entirely.

Then it happened.

Ssssss—

Jeong-un’s foot began to vibrate slightly, then from his body, ki waves flared and spread into the air like fire.

It felt as though a breeze swept, then a Whoosh stretched across the whole space.

Saaaak!

”... He’s mad.”

Muttering under his breath, the cult leader glanced around.

The once-transparent air was slowly stained a faint golden color.

”You’ve made your own domain? No matter how vast your internal energy, to fill the space like this with ki waves—?”

While the Demonic Cult Leader muttered incredulously, Jeong-un silently stepped forward.

Thud. Saaaak!

Now, it was entirely Jeong-un’s domain. Like erasing the distance, he drove forward and unleashed a sword strike at the man.

Boom!

The difference in strength was overwhelming.

The man barely managed to block the enhanced energy of the stroke with his right hand’s technique, retreating a few steps as he swept away the trailing bursting energies with a series of hand movements.

He could no longer use those strange movements—at least not within this area.

The Demonic Cult Leader smiled and spoke.

”You remember, right? The grand technique beneath us will eat at your true ki. The internal energy you unleashed will be consumed too. You won’t last long.”

”No need to worry.”

”......?”

”A short time is enough.”

Jeong-un’s figure, full of the essence of Moonlight Swift Steps, blurred.

Boom! Bam! Thud—!

A series of clashes ensued.

Every attack and defense carried intense enhanced energy, as if each could be fatal.

Each impact made the golden air ripple—anyone witnessing the scene would be left stunned at its mystery.

It was like the battle of Immortals.

Whoooosh!

A powerfully swung strike emitted several streams of enhanced energy, chasing after the man as he withdrew.

Screech! Screeech!

The man spun, swinging his arms to dissipate the energies.

Curiously, as he moved in circles, a mysterious martial technique—akin to Wudang’s Taiji Wisdom Sword—was evident.

’Indeed.’

The Demonic Cult Leader was a peerless expert tempered over decades.

The gap in combat experience was clear.

Though Jeong-un’s sword strikes were powerful, they failed to deal meaningful damage to the man.

Thud! Boom—! Bam!

Indeed, the man was facing Jeong-un with nothing but his own physical might.

The principle of the formation in his body didn’t work in this domain.

But even this couldn’t last, not for long.

This domain was, in effect, a makeshift solution born of Jeong-un’s genius-level sensitivity and delicate control of ki.

Screeching—!

After a flurry of astonishingly fast exchanges, the two ended up separated by a distance.

As the cult leader had said, even in that instant, the golden air thinned noticeably.

’Nothing good comes from dragging this out.’

He had to move faster.

His sword was strong enough to cut the man’s body. All he had to do was touch him with its tip.

His senses, too, had to be sharper—if only for an instant, if he could split that moment of perception into dozens of fragments, he would be fast enough that the man couldn’t react.

Now, Jeong-un’s clear expression in the eyes took on a mysterious light.

’Pour it all out.’

The moment the powerful intent flashed through his mind—

Whoooosh.

Power surged from his whole body, the density of it abnormally heavy.

The very air around Jeong-un seemed to weigh down and sink.

Saaaaaaaa—

In response, the golden mist filling the underground chamber resonated.

A strange wind-like sound echoed, as if the caverns themselves were shuddering.

The Demonic Cult Leader murmured,

”... Unbelievable.”